To play a conventional slot machine, the player deposits money into the machine, sets the wager, and spins the reels. When the reels stop spinning, the player collects credits for winning symbol combinations displayed on the reels, if any, according to a predetermined pay schedule.
While the appearance of conventional slot machines may change from one theme, such as space aliens, to another, such as farm animals, the underlying methods of play—setting the wager, spinning the reels, collecting awards—remain the same from machine to machine.
The many similarities of conventional slot machines frustrate players, casinos, and manufacturers. Players tire of games using the same methods of play; casinos cannot distinguish their games offerings from other casinos; and manufacturers cannot distinguish their products from other manufacturers.
New methods of playing slot machines, therefore, are required to provide players, casinos, and manufacturers with uniquely entertaining slot machine games, including new methods of calculating symbol award values, as taught by the present invention.